List of Painkillers: from Strongest to Weakest in 2025

For example, meloxicam is only approved to treat arthritic-related pain and inflammation. Your healthcare provider will work with you to achieve the most appropriate treatment regimen based on your medical history, risk factors, and your concurrent medications. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, pronounced in-seds) are a group of medications commonly used to treat menstrual cramps, mild to moderate aches, and pain from minor injuries. NSAIDs are also known for their role in alleviating joint inflammation and pain due to osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis.

People respond differently to medications, however, so one may work better than the other for you. Overall, the choice between meloxicam and naproxen will depend on your specific condition, medical history, and other factors. Consult your healthcare provider to determine the most suitable option for you.

Triamcinolone is used to treat allergies, skin conditions, ulcerative colitis, and arthritis. An editorial policy or process is the guiding principle that influences any content or resources that are written, edited, and shared by our team, including both web and print media. Our standard for educational material is high and promotes accuracy and integrity with every publication. Vyepti (eptinezumab-jjmr) is used for the preventive treatment of migraine. Emgality (galcanezumab-gnlm) is a CGRP antagonist for the preventive treatment of migraine and for …

Fever

• If pain symptoms cannot resolve within 3 days, get in touch with the basic physician.
• Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.
• The best advice is to see your doctor first to make sure an anti-inflammatory medication is the right treatment for you.
• Prostaglandins are responsible for producing pain and inflammation.

Qulipta is used to help prevent episodic or chronic migraine headaches in adults. Ubrelvy (ubrogepant) tablets are used for the acute treatment of migraine. Humira is a tumor necrosis factor blocker used to treat many inflammatory conditions in adults … Ibuprofen itself does not produce euphoria, but it can be combined with drugs that do, such as codeine.

Ibuprofen Side Effects

• However, in many people, it can take up to two weeks to get benefits from this medicine.
• Meloxicam is a prescription NSAID that helps with pain and inflammation caused by osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
• Some NSAIDs are extremely good at relieving pain, but not that good at reducing inflammation.

These warnings from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) highlight the significant risks of a potentially dangerous medication. Meloxicam’s risk of gastrointestinal (GI)-related side effects is lower than naproxen. Other NSAIDs, like naproxen, may be preferred if you have any GI risk or high cardiovascular risk. Meloxicam is a prescription-only nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) for treating pain related to arthritis.

Meloxicam vs. Naproxen for Pain

Never double up on doses if one is missed unless a doctor directs you otherwise. NSAIDs reduce the flow of blood to the kidneys and impair function of the kidneys. The impairment is most likely to occur in patients who already have impaired function of the kidney or congestive heart failure, and use of NSAIDs in these patients should be cautious. Like all NSAIDs, meloxicam’s and naproxen’s labeling both carry boxed warnings.

Naproxen

Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and meloxicam (Mobic) belong to a class of drugs called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Other members of this class include indomethacin (Indocin), nabumetone (Relafen), and several others. These drugs are used for the management of mild to moderate pain, fever, and inflammation.

What are the side effects of ibuprofen?

This updated list includes current prescription medications for pain management, categorized by type and commonly prescribed options. It is a prescription medication and is used to treat tenderness, pain, swelling, and stiffness caused by osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Oxycodone is an opioid pain medication used to treat moderate to severe pain.

What Is Naproxen?

Meloxicam is only available with a prescription from a healthcare provider. All NSAIDs can cause kidney harm, particularly in people who have kidney problems. Liver damage is possible in people who have liver problems, but the general risk to the liver is low with both drugs.

If you or a loved one are struggling with substance misuse with acetaminophen, opioids, ibuprofen, meloxicam, or any other prescription or OTC medication, practical help is available. Professional treatment can help you find relief from painkiller addiction while still pursuing practical solutions for dealing with acute or chronic pain. Avoid taking either of these medications if you have recently had a heart attack, and tell your which is stronger meloxicam or ibuprofen healthcare provider of any history of heart disease or other health conditions. The usual dosage of meloxicam is 7.5 mg to 15 mg once a day in adults.

It is important to be evaluated for the cause of your pain, especially if it is severe (even for a short time), if it is long-lasting (even if it is not severe) or if it keeps recurring. Meloxicam, like other NSAIDs, is not considered to be a physically addictive substance. Because it doesn’t produce the same type of euphoria that opioids and other pain-relieving substances have, its impact on the brain’s reward system is considerably less pronounced. Ibuprofen and meloxicam block the enzyme that makes prostaglandins (cyclooxygenase), resulting in lower concentrations of prostaglandins.

In this case, if you abruptly stop taking meloxicam after prolonged use, you may experience a temporary worsening of your symptoms – often referred to as a “rebound” effect. This is in response to the body’s adjustment to the medication. Meloxicam is also a selective COX-2 inhibitor, reducing the risk of GI side effects compared to naproxen. Naproxen sodium is also marketed as an OTC product, Aleve, for reducing pain, inflammation, or fever in those 12 and older.